As I type, there are protesters all over the Warhol Bridge (formerly Seventh Street), apparently intending to amass on the North Shore. And wherever they go, the buzzing helicopters and police and fire trucks and bikes and everything else follow. And below them are all kinds of Coast Guard and police boats in the water. What a scene. Nothing remotely unruly, but it’s very much a distraction.No word up here on the protesters’ mission just yet, but I am guessing that they seek Paul Maholm bobbleheads.

And later, [DK put up a separate post] detailing the deployment of 200 armored police officers into the ballyard. Part of the reason is because Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama will throw out the first pitch tonight (Masumi Kuwata coached him earlier in the week), and Michelle Obama will be in the Warhol Museum later this evening. Steve Pearce was even confronted by an officer while attempting to cross the street on his way to the park. Crazy stuff.

OK, baseball. A win by Los Angeles tonight officially puts them into the playoffs. They can also clinch the division this weekend. The Pirates, meanwhile, are hoping to avoid 100 losses (looking doubtful now) and still hold out a REALLY SLIM chance of a winning season at home (they’d have to sweep the 4 game set with LA to do that).

Jeff Karstens starts off the final home series of the year. Yay. Because he hasn’t started in a long time, we’ll see lots of long (read: awful) relievers in behind him. Boy, this one could be ugly.

Jon Garland is having a solid year, and pitched well enough last week in LA against the Pirates (6 innings, 2 runs, and a W).